PKK terrorists killed in anti-terror operations across Turkey

Turkish security forces today killed five suspected Kurdish militants in what is a usually peaceful western region popular with European tourists, state media said.

A total of 11 PKK terrorists were killed in counter-terror operations across Turkey, while weapon depots and PKK hideouts in northern Iraq were destroyed, officials said.

Turkish security forces killed five Kurdish militants in the southwestern province of Mugla on Thursday, broadcaster NTV said, marking a rare clash in an Aegean coastal region popular with foreign tourists.

According to the Hurriyet daily, police and gendarmerie forces, acting on an intelligence tip, launched a joint operation against seven PKK militants in Mugla's Koycegiz district.

Turkish warplanes also carried out airstrikes on PKK camps in Iraq's Metina region, destroying their hideouts, as well as arms and munition depots, it added.

Authorities said the operation continues to locate and capture the two remaining militants, who are suspected to be members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The PKK has waged an insurgency inside Turkey since 1984 which initially focused on seeking independence for Turkey's Kurdish minority but now puts more emphasis on greater rights and autonomy.

The PKK - listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US, and the European Union - resumed its armed campaign against Turkey in July 2015.